Oc e Ne
by tigerofthewind
Summary: Oc e ne...yes and no. A Final Fantasy 7 AU. What happens if Cloud and Aeris switched places? What if Cloud was the Cetra and Aeris the SOLDIER? Chapter Four-Odium.
1. Primus Visum

Oc e Ne- Yes and No ~*~A Final Fantasy VII AU~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU READ ON!!!!!*waves* Hi, everyone! It's me! Tiger of the Wind! I know ya'll missed me!*wink* Anyways, just a few things I wanted to say before you read.  
  
1.)This is an AU fic. Things are different. Hence the summary.*cough* My point is, if you haven't finished the game, then please don't read this then plague me with useless questions like:'What's going on?' and 'When did that happen?' because your ignorance is your own fault, LoL. However, if you have other MEANINGFUL questions or comments, please feel free to E-mail me or send me an IM.^_^ Also, the character's personalities are different, as are some of their weapons, Limit Breaks, and roles in the story(so don't ask about that, either). . .  
  
2.)Don't ask about the Latin. The truth is, the chapter titles are based on(the words aren't the same, but the idea is) this Final Fantasy 8 AU fic called Brumalius Angelus, by The Lady Griever. Basically, this is my disclaimer:It wasn't my original idea to use Latin names for chapters! Don't sue me! Or something.  
  
3.)Squaresoft owns all. They are the equivalent to Microsoft in the gaming world, minus the annoying little paperclip. No, in it's place we have such characters like Yuffie, Rinoa, and Eiko(LoL). Well, moving onward. . .  
  
4.)This idea is MINE(God, I hope so, at least). I mean, if someone else out there has written a fanficcy with this similar idea, I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY. I really didn't know. I just thought I'd throw this out there for some fun. Anyways, if no one else has done this idea, then DON'T STEAL IT! Like, if you want to do something like this, then at least give me a disclaimer 'cuz I'm greedy and want lotz of reviews. That's about all, I think! Byes!^_^  
  
Vereor Veritas(Fear the truth), ~*~tigerofthewind~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Oc e Ne- Yes and No ~*~A Final Fantasy VII AU~*~  
  
Chapter One-Primus Visum("First Sight")  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Stars.............the union of souls and the Lifestream........and the cosmos...............  
  
He looked up from the light of a Mako furnace where he had been desperately trying to warm his hands, blinking a bit against the sudden transition of light to dark and smiling slightly. Picking up his staff and ignoring the stares at his rich, navy blue robes as he walked past, he headed to the edge of the street and stood there patiently, waiting for a chance to cross.  
  
He was tall and broad-shouldered, but by no means muscular. Lean was more of a way to describe it, certainly not all flab like the citizens of the Upper Plate, but slender and lithe and surprisingly fine-boned for a man. His face was all planes and angles, framed by golden hair that fell to his shoulders like a halo around his head. From above his long-bridged nose shone out a pair of startling cerulean eyes.  
  
A train roared past, making him brush a few stray pieces of debris off of his robes, before finally crossing the street with his staff and vanishing out of sight.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
She frowned. After performing an expert backflip off the train that had made her companions ooh and aah for a second or so, two Shinra MDs had coming running out from the reactor, and her companions had run off(most cowardly, she thought) to leave her to deal with the oncoming threat alone.  
  
She spun her sword around expertly, enjoying the feel of it, becoming one with the blade. One of the MDs tried to dart in low; she smiled---it made the job of slicing off his head so much easier. The other one, upon seeing the plight of his comrade, tried to run away, but a quick slash across the back finished the job. Well, at least she got two Potions out of it.  
  
Not entirely true. She didn't like killing things. It was just part of what she had to do, and as long as that stupid leader paid her enough for it, she would continue to do it. Wiping her Vereorvis on the leg of one of their trousers, she slipped it back into its sheath and hurried ahead to the others.  
  
The closest one with the black hair spoke to her first, while the only other female with brown hair tied up into a bun was working on decoding the entry code for the gate."So you used to be in SOLDIER, hunh? Not everyday ya find one in a group like AVALANCHE."  
  
The other woman looked up."SOLDIER? Aren't they the enemy?"  
  
"No, Jessie. She WAS in SOLDIER. She quit them and is now one of us."The black-haired one turned back to her."Didn't catch your name........"  
  
She shrugged."........Aeris."  
  
"Aeris? I'm---"  
  
"I don't care what your names are,"she interrupted."As soon as this job's done........I'm outta here."  
  
The leader of AVALANCHE, a tall and large black man with a gun grafted into his right arm, ran up just then, as the woman with the bun opened the gate."Awright, split up! Our target's the No. 1 reactor!"He turned and started to run away with the rest of AVALANCHE, then stopped and stared at the girl.  
  
She was of relatively average height, with chesnut brown hair tied back into a braid, with(surprisingly enough) a pink ribbon. A black denim jacket that barely reached her waist was layered over a pink tank top, with a pink skirt. A pair of black leggings tucked neatly into white socks with brown combat boots completed the look. Underneath her unruly bangs glared out a pair of striking emerald green eyes.  
  
"Ex-SOLDIER, hunh? Don't trust ya!"  
  
She merely gave him a look."......And you are?"  
  
"Barret, that's who! Can't even rememba the name of ya own boss? Pah!"He began shaking a little sporadically, like he was having a seizure. Aeris guessed that it was supposed to be intimidating, but all it did was look comedic. She shrugged again, which only made him even more infuriated.  
  
"Awright, head for the No. 1 reactor! We'll meet back at the gate!"And he ran on ahead, as most of the people in the unwealthy and unorganized little group seemed to have the tendency to do. Aeris shook her head.(Why am I here?)she wondered, before running through the gate after them.  
  
On the way to the center of the reactor, she ran into a few enemies, and a few more Shinra soldiers. Upon dealing deathblow after deathblow with Vereorvis(the name meant 'to fear power', as most people did), she began to grow bored. The only good thing about the constant barrage of attacks was the experience she was getting(as though she needed it, hah), and the gil(which was a necessity, she was forced to admit).  
  
Finally, she came across the fat one(what was his name? Wedge?) clearly blocking the doorway and looking around stupidly like the ass that he was. She was about to berate him when he spoke to her first."I'll clear the exit. Concentrate on the mission, Aeris."  
  
(Well.)She was a bit glad she didn't yell at him, after all.(These clods have got some intelligence, I'll grant them that.)A cursory glance of the room revealed the correct passage off to her left, from the right of the door she had entered through. The bright Mako glow of the reactors was making her feel nauseated.  
  
Veering down the narrow passageway, she shimmied up numerous ladders and beams, and dropped down onto a set of pipes. A Potion sparkling in the light before the other woman's(Jessie, her name was) sentry post caught her eye, and she scurried over to get it.  
  
Jessie, however, was under the incorrect assumption that Aeris wanted to talk."Hey,"she whispered confidentially."I'm really glad there's another woman to take care of things here. It gets so boring, having to deal with all those guys. Take Barret, for example. He doesn't know one end of a fuse from the other! He'll probably ask you to set the bomb."  
  
Aeris liked her already. Nodding briskly, she crossed over the next sections of pipe to where Barret was waiting. A Restore materia was laying on the ground in front of him, just waiting to be taken. Waving around with his gun arm, he pointed to where a computerized bomb was already hooked up to the main chamber of the reactor. "We don't have much time. Aeris, you set the bomb."  
  
She grinned impudently."Why me?"  
  
"Argh! I gotta make sure you ain't gonna pull anything funny."  
  
(Right), she thought, but obediently knelt on the ground and began experimentally tapping the buttons.(I just hope the jackass hooked the fuses up right, and we don't get shot to hell.) She hit the execute key with a flourish."Done."  
  
Barret already had his gun-arm raised."Watch out, here they come!"  
  
From the sky fell the Guard Scorpion, a huge metallic beast with a deadly tail that lashed like like a cat's and shot out laser beams. At Barret's warning, she drew Vereorvis. Thinking hard about it's circuitry, she resheathed Vereorvis elegantly and bowed her head in a prayer-like fashion, focusing her energies into casting a Bolt spell somewhere near it's base. Barret was firing bullets with his Gatling Gun, but they simply bounced of the boss' hard casing.  
  
Then it's tail rose up into the air, and began to shake violently. Aeris decided to be nice and call out a word of caution to her rather impulsive comrade."Attack while its tail's up, and it's going to counterattack with it's laser!"  
  
For once, he listened, and instead opted to use one of Aeris' Potions on himself in the meantime. She gritted her teeth.(Your paycheck'll buy you plenty of Potions), she reminded herself.  
  
She could see the Guard Scorpion weakening, and as she cast a final Bolt spell upon the loathsome tail, it exploded into hundreds of pieces, cutting her in more spots than one.  
  
Well, she could worry about injuries later."Ten minutes to detonation!"Barret yelled."Let's get the hell outta here!"  
  
(Ten minutes? Piece of cake.)Aeris even took the time to brazenly fight every enemy she encountered heading back up to the exit, even laughing as Barret was shouting at her to run away. It had only taken her a total of six minutes to go down, and that was with stopping to talk to everyone and picking up stray items along the way. This was pathetically easy.  
  
Finishing off a reddish-colored panther demon, she checked her watch and saw that she had one minute left to go.(Better not push it),she decided, and darted out the exit as the first explosion rocked the ground beneath her feet and set a burst of flame out onto the catwalk.  
  
Outside, Jessie was setting up another bomb to destroy the exit, so no one could follow their path. Once again, Aeris had to give the tiny rebel group a little more credit than what she had been giving them. They were relatively clever and fought for a good cause, albeit their occasional lacks of competence.(If they pay well),she decided,(I might just join them permanently.)  
  
"Good work!"Barret congratulated them."But don't get lazy now! The next one's gonna be even bigger than that! So don't ya'll be scared of that explosion! Okay, foo's! Meet up at the Sector 8 station!"  
  
He started to run away, but Aeris stopped him."Hey!"  
  
He didn't even bother to turn around."If it's about your money, save it 'til we're back at the hideout."  
  
(Hmph. Rude jackass.)Aeris dusted reactor debris off of her clothes and headed up the stairs to the streets of Midgar, where people were running around in a panic.  
  
A quiet-looking man with golden hair had been standing there staring at the mess, but several people rushed by and knocked him down, not even stopping to offer him a hand up. Feeling rather generous today, Aeris went to give him a hand. He accepted her offer of help gratefully, grasping her hand with his own long-fingered appendage and hoisting himself up."Thank you."  
  
"You okay?"she asked of him, then scratched the back of her head, embarrassed."I think some of my guys were in the mob. Sorry 'bout that. I've yet to teach them the meaning of courtesy."  
  
The man smiled, a small little smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. If anything, they looked more melancholy than ever."It's alright. I don't mind."He brushed off his navy robes, picked up his silver walking staff, and continued on his way. Aeris stared after him a long time after he was gone, until several shouts snapped her back to attention.  
  
"There she is! Over there!"  
  
"Hmph."Turning around, she saw two Shinra soldiers rushing towards her, making a vain attempt to try and seize her. Two swipes from Vereorvis took care of them, and two more flowed in their wake. This time she opted to run to the square, where she would have a better battle ground. She cast two Ice spells, and received a small nick on her forearm that wasn't very damaging, just a little painful.  
  
Three more, attacking from both sides. THAT was a little harder than anything she had tried before. She cast Bolt on the one behind her without even bothering to turn around, but couldn't move fast enough for the shot that pierced her leg. The bullet only grazed her, but it was enough to make her fall to her knees.  
  
She heard a voice."Reis's Wind!"  
  
...............And her forearm and leg HEALED.  
  
Back in commission, the remaining soliders didn't stand a chance. Being skilled enough to finish the job with only one swipe of her sword, Aeris turned around in all directions searching for her assistant, but whoever it was was nowhere to be found. Unless.......that was a glimpse of silver and gold she saw disappearing across the roof of a school building?  
  
"That's as far as you go."She turned at the sound of a voice, and saw seven soldiers forming a semi-circle around her, as the rumble of an oncoming train faced her at the back. The rumble grew closer and closer, as did the tight circle of soldiers. It was either be captured, or flattened.  
  
"Hmph."(Or not.)  
  
Timing her jump just right, she backflipped off the bridge and onto the top of the train, waving cheerfully as it descended into the next tunnel and out of sight.  
  
  
  
  
  
AN~Well, what does everyone think?*anxious look* Like? Don't like? PLEASE review, I'm not going to continue with this story unless I get at least ten reviews. So tell everyone you know to check this out! Also, Vereorvis. Split it up:'Vereor Vis' and that means "to fear power". And 'Reis's Wind' is from FF9, but it does something different in my fic than what it does in there. Okay? Like I said, weapon names are changed and stuff. Just for fun. This is an AU, after all! And remember, READ AND REVIEW! Byes!^_^ ~Vereor Veritas~, ~*~tigerofthewind~*~ 


	2. Floris

Oc e Ne- Yes and No ~*~A Final Fantasy VII AU~*~  
  
Chapter Two-Floris("A Flower")  
  
  
  
AN~Well, I'm baaaack! Thanx to my 5th reviewer, PinkStarz! Sheez, you review whore! What, do you review EVERYTHING I write?! LoL, just kidding(I wuv yoo, Kris!). Basically, this chapter is the events that occur at the Sector 5 mission. Nothing of real importance, just a little more about the characters and their relationships with one another(namely, Aeris and Tifa). Once again, some things are different from the game. But I try to keep the basic plot the same, without screwing anything up. ^_^ Anyways, read on! Let's get to 15, eh? ~tigerofthewind~  
  
  
  
  
  
Flash. Flash. Flash.  
  
The lamplights winked green Mako friendliness at Jessie as the train roared past, doing nothing to improve her mood. She had made some sort of miscalculation with her bomb. Aeris hadn't shown up. Biggs' snoring was constantly permeating through her thoughts. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she smacked him awake.  
  
Wedge looked up from where he had been staring at the compartment floor."Aeris never came."  
  
Biggs looked up too, from his attempt to try and fall back asleep."Aeris............wonder if she was killed?"  
  
Jessie sighed."Aeris.............."She had really liked the younger girl. They were only apart by two years age-wise, and shared a similar interest in bombs and a general distaste of traditional womens' roles in society.  
  
Biggs was talking again."Do you think.............Aeris'll fight to the end with AVALANCHE?"  
  
Barret pounded the top of a crate with his good hand."The hell would I know?! Do I look like a mind reader?!"  
  
Silence again, broken by Wedge."Hey Barret, what about our pay?"  
  
Another pound on the crate shut him up fast.  
  
Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Tap---  
  
The compartment door flew open to admit none other than Aeris herself, frontflipping in then dusting herself off."Looks like I'm a little late."  
  
Barret, as was to be expected, covered his relief with fury."You damn right yer late! Come waltzin' in here makin' a big scene!"  
  
Aeris shrugged."Of course. It's my right, isn't it?"  
  
"Havin' everyone worried 'bout you like that; you don't give a damn 'bout anyone but yerself......"  
  
This time a brazen grin crossed the slender brunette's face."You were worried about me!"  
  
Barret glowered."I'm takin' it outta yer money, hot stuff,"he muttered as he disappeared into the front of the train. Now it was Aeris' turn to glower.  
  
Wedge headed after Barret."Hey Aeris, you were great back there!"  
  
"Heh, Aeris............we'll do even better next time."Biggs grinned openly and followed Wedge. Only Jessie and Aeris were left.  
  
Aeris gestured at the door."I guess I'll shut this."After securely latching the compartment door, she turned back to Jessie."Hey..........you didn't happen to see a man walking around near the reactor, did you? You couldn't have missed him; he was dressed really weird."  
  
Jessie thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers together."Oh, yeah! The one in the...............robes?"A nod."I saw him get knocked down by Wedge, poor guy. I would've stopped to help him, but some of those Shinra bastards were giving me a hard time."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Jessie decided not to question any further."It's good to see you're okay, Aeris."She waved and jumped over the crates to the next car.  
  
Aeris, however, was lost in thought.(Who was that guy? Why did he help me, if he knew that the Shinra were after me? Anyone with common sense would have stayed out of it.)  
  
(Is he a member of another resistance faction, maybe? That would explain why he helped me. If that was even him. Yeah, it was probably someone else.)  
  
Shaking her head clear of any other rogue thoughts, Aeris went up to join the others. Barret was busy terrorizing the remaining passengers, Biggs was taking a snooze near the front of the car, Wedge was engaging in conversation with the bum who lived on the train in his spare time, and Jessie was messing around with the railway monitor. She tried showing it to Aeris, but failed to interest the younger girl.  
  
"Hey, Aeris, c'mere for a sec,"she said, waving her over."Let me show this to you. It's a map of the Midgar railway system."  
  
".............I know what it is."  
  
"Oh, so you know that it's a map of Midgar in a 1/10,000th scale, then? And about the 8 numbered sectors? And the ID checkpoints hooked up to the main headquarters? And---"  
  
"Yeah. I know."  
  
".........Oh, well."Jessie looked a bit put out, but Aeris really didn't feel like listening to a lecture about something she knew perfectly well about. She had also heard similar fractions of a lecture before the mission, when Jessie had given her her fake ID card. And when they were riding the train for the first time, to the No. 1 reactor. And countless times in between. Jessie was helpful, but a bit too zealous when it came to knowledge. At least she was good with explosives.  
  
Aeris went to talk to Barret, out of nothing but sheer boredom. She could honestly say that she didn't really approve of his belligerent tactics in leading AVALANCHE. She thought maybe something involving an actual sense of comraderie might be a little better.  
  
"Ya can't see the sun,"he muttered, staring almost angrily out the window."This city don't have no day or night. If it weren't for that plate...........we could see the sky. And the Mako reactors keep sucking up the energy."He looked as though he wanted to spit."It's because of that @#$%ing 'pizza', that the people underneath are sufferin'!"  
  
Aeris knew better than to suggest that everyone move up onto the plate. If by some miracle they could all fit, then the Shinra would never allow it. People couldn't afford housing up on the plate, it was that simple. She should know, having grown up in a little house in the slums of Midgar until she was 8, when her mother could finally afford to send her to military school in Junon to train to become a member of SOLDIER.  
  
That was another reason why she took this job---it would see her closer to home. She hadn't seen her mother in over 10 years. Over 15 years, actually. She wondered if her mother was still alive, even. Well, she had wrote her often, so chances were that she was still around.  
  
After listening to Barret's ramble, the train screeched to a halt at the Sector 7 station. Aeris stretched languidly, stepping out of the automatic doors into the artificial light that signified existence underneath the plate. The conductor performed his usual routine check of the compartments and yelled at the bum to "find a new home somewhere else!" before the train whisked away in a combination of smoke and steam.  
  
"Awright, foo's!"Barret yelled, running off to the right."We'll split up from here! Meet back at the hideout!"  
  
As the rest of AVALANCHE headed toward the town that was situated at the center of the plate beneath the actual Sector 7 above, Aeris wondered why Barret always found some cause for his team to split up. It seemed to be the thing to do---split up during missions, split up on the train, split up and find your way back to the base, etc. Well, who was she to argue? She decided to get back to the hideout fast, and get paid before the oaf forgot.  
  
There was some sort of arguement going on in the house next door to the 7th Heaven, resident bar and secret location of AVALANCHE's hideout. Feeling somehow interested, Aeris walked a little closer than she would have to the area to listen.  
  
"I'm gonna go off and make a new life fer myself! Ma, pa, ya can't stop me!"A roguish-looking young man spat bitterly on the ground."When I make my fortune, I'll send fer ya, alright?"He grabbed his bags and stormed through the crowd of onlookers that had gathered, leaving most of them puzzled in his wake. Aeris heard snatches of conversation as the two parents headed back into their house, trying to be angry, but only ending up solemn.  
  
".........didn't think he'd do it................"  
  
"...........can't believe he's gone..............."  
  
"............Johnny's all grown up, now..............."  
  
(What is this?)Aeris thought.(What I'm feeling? Is it because I haven't seen Mom in so long?)  
  
(Am I...........guilty?)  
  
Still feeling a little dazed, she walked into the 7th Heaven where Barret was angrily shooting the bar's regulars out into the chilly night. A few of them were muttering angrily about being kicked out of the '@#$% store', but more than a little bit of them were talking about AVALANCHE.  
  
"Did you see what happened to the plate? AVALANCHE says there'll be more bombings."  
  
(Ya got that right), Aeris thought dryly to herself, and headed through the door.  
  
A little girl of about five or so jumped down from the side counter and rushed over to her, about to give her a huge hug before realizing that Aeris wasn't who she thought it would be. The bartender walked out from behind the bar and stood next to the girl. She was an inch or so shorter than Aeris, and about two years younger. If you could take your eyes off of her abnormally large pectoral projections, then she actually had quite a pretty face, framed with dark brown hair and centered with eerie-colored garnet eyes. She wore an outfit that was revealing to a degree, but provided plenty of mobility for her fistfighting, a white tank top with a short black skirt being held up by suspenders.  
  
"Sorry, Aeris."She spoke as though she wasn't sorry."I don't know HOW Marlene could be shy around you, seeing as how you're always in here."A slight undercurrent of insolence that Aeris found irritating. She wasn't a drunk. And 7th Heaven's drinks sucked, anyway.  
  
"I'm---"  
  
Aeris gave her a look."I haven't forgotten your name, you know. You were the one who gave me this job, remember Tifa?"  
  
The younger brunette drew herself up to her full height. She wasn't exactly a BITCH, per se, she just always spoke her mind. Usually she opted to keep silent around Aeris, but something seemed to have put her in an agitated mood today."You know, I don't think I like you."  
  
Aeris shrugged."I don't care if you like me or not. I'd rather us be comrades if at least not friends, but have it your way."The truth was, Aeris didn't care for most people, but she'd grown rather attached to these AVALANCHE lackeys. They grew on her like a nasty fungus, she supposed.  
  
Tifa looked confused at that."Friends, eh? I'll work on it."And she went back behind the bar. Aeris followed her, sitting down on her traditional stool. This was where she and the other girl had first met. Aeris had walked into the bar on a rainy night, a few months ago. After thwarting two robbery attempts and breaking up more tavern brawls than anyone could count, Tifa had finally started taking notice of her fighting skills. And that strange green glow in her eyes.  
  
Aeris knew it. She was an ex-SOLDIER, infused with Mako. The injections in themselves hadn't hurt, but the transformations afterward had been pretty brutal. She knew how how the saying "Only the strongest can enter SOLDIER" had come about. The Mako left her magic high, her strength higher, and her eyes shining brightly with that artificial light.  
  
Well, aside from the digressing, Tifa had commented to Barret about how the emerald-eyed ex-SOLDIER would make a good asset to AVALANCHE's dwindling membership, and had finally managed to persuade him to let her in. The bombing of No. 1 had been her first mission, and seeing as how simple it was(and if her paycheck was swell, of course), it may not have been her last.  
  
Tifa was considerably nicer than what she had been a few moments ago, and slid a drink down the end of the bar to Aeris."How was the mission? Did you fight with Barret?"  
  
Aeris frowned."No, not this time. Even though it took a lot of self- control not to bash his face in."  
  
Now it was Tifa's turn to frown."Hmmm.......I think I might've misjudged you. You seemed like the type of person who would get into fights at the drop of a hat."It was the closest thing to an apology she could make.  
  
Aeris understood. Sometimes, apologies and thanks didn't quite come out of her mouth as well as she would have liked them to, either."It's all right."  
  
Barret came bursting in then(for bursting was the only word that could be used to describe that sudden, forcible entry), shooting a few random shots at some stragglers near the doorway. Marlene, finally encountering the person she had wanted to see, jumped down off the counter again and ran into Barret's arms.  
  
"Papa! You're back!"  
  
He gave her a few kisses on the face."Right! Get in here, foo's! We're startin' the meetin'!"Walking over to the pinball machine, he hit a lever near the top and the machine disappeared into the floor. Downing the rest of her drink in one gulp, Aeris quickly followed him.  
  
The rest of AVALANCHE were already down there, finding odd little things to pass the time. Biggs and Wedge were playing cards at the table, Barret was socking away at the punching bag, Marlene was watching him with a look of adoration on her face, and Jessie was somehow managing to simultaneously watch the Midgar Nightly News and type away on the computer at the same time.  
  
Barret stopped his pummeling and turned to Aeris."Hey, Aeris............was there anyone from SOLDIER fightin' us today?"  
  
She shook her head, pink-ribboned braid flying."None. I'm positive."  
  
He gave her a look of suspicion."What makes you so damn sure?"  
  
Aeris shrugged; decided to put it bluntly."If there was anyone from SOLDIER out there today..............you wouldn't be standing here."  
  
Barret was agitated, and it took Biggs to restrain him."Gghhh........don't go thinkin' you so bad jes' cuz you was in SOLDIER."He threw Biggs off of his arms with an impressive amount of force."Sure you's tough. Probably all them guys in SOLDIER are. But don't forget, yer skinny ass's workin' for AVALANCHE, now!"  
  
Aeris had had enough. She walked up to the resistance leader and glared him straight in the eye."I'm goin' upstairs. I want to talk about my money."  
  
The other members of AVALANCHE seemed most put-off at her reaction. Aeris wasn't sure whether they were hoping for a fight or simply disappointed because, unlike them, she actually CARED about having gil in her pocket.  
  
Well, no matter. She hit the switch and ascended the platform up into the bar. Flipping ten gil at Tifa for her drink, she had started to head out the door, when---  
  
"Wait!"Tifa came running out from behind the bar, hair flying."You're really leaving?!"  
  
(Why do you care?)"..........Yeah. I've had it."  
  
"Had it? With what?"Tifa looked to be on the verge of saying something she had wanted to get off her chest for years."Aeris, I'm asking you. Please join us."  
  
THAT took the ex-SOLDIER by surprise. Aeris looked at her suspiciously."Why? So I can put my life on the line for your stupid little cause only to get yelled at and mistrusted in return?"  
  
"Aeris, the Planet is dying. Slowly but surely it's dying. Can't you see that?!"  
  
She shrugged."So let Barret and his buddies do something about it."She had started to leave again---  
  
"So you're just going to walk out of here when you haven't seen me in over five years?!"  
  
Aeris reeled, sat down hard on the nearest chair. She hated it when that happened. Little glitches, flashes of white light in her memory. Sometimes the stuff came back, other times she was left emptier than before. This time, it came back. Came back and bit her in the ass.  
  
".........Tifa..........?"  
  
"You remember, don't you.................Aeris?"  
  
She remembered; if but a little. She and Tifa had met that time five years ago.............when it all began..........  
  
"Tifa, let her go!"(Damn, he's back.)"Looks like she still misses the Shinra!"  
  
(Again! Why can't that man leave well enough alone?!)"Stayin' with the Shinra?! I don't care about Shinra or SOLDIER!"She paused."But don't get me wrong. I don't care about AVALANCHE or the Planet, either! I'm leavin'."  
  
Barret looked ready to implode."Wait a sec, big-time SOLDIER!"The sporadic shaking again."A promise is a promise! Here!"  
  
Barret's stash of gil nearly smacked her in the nose. Not only that, but it was the most pathetic amount of pay she had ever received in her life. SOLDIER paid more than that, for God's sake. But, still.........."This is my pay? Don't make me laugh."  
  
Tifa looked surprised, then as though she was trying to hide the fact that she was happy."So then you'll.........?"  
  
"Got the next mission lined up? I'll do it for 3000."(I want to know more about that. Why couldn't I remember who Tifa was?)  
  
The shaking intensified, as a whispered battle between leader and bar hostess took place. It seemed that Tifa won out, because Barret headed back towards the hidden entrance to the hideout, although still undeniably angry."2000!"  
  
He headed down. Tifa smiled gratefully."Thanks, Aeris."  
  
"I didn't do it for you. Well, at least not intentionally. I did it because you remember, and I don't."  
  
Tifa shook her head, as if she were in a daze."No, I......... Forget it, Aeris. It was 5 years ago............"  
  
(You can't remember something from 5 years ago? I thought I was the only one with that problem.)"..............."  
  
  
  
****************************************************************  
  
  
  
"..............Aerith?"  
  
"...............Yeah.......... Wait, how do you know that name?! Only---"  
  
"Ha ha ha..............Aerith."  
  
"Where are you?! No, this's gotta be a dream!"  
  
"I am quite near. It is well that you talk quietly in your sleep."  
  
"No............."  
  
"Oh, yes. Sleep well, flower of my heart. Sleep well."  
  
"'Sleep well'..............or 'Sleepel'...................?"  
  
  
  
**************************************************************  
  
  
  
"..............until I come back for you.................."  
  
Aeris woke up shaking.(A dream. A stupid, stupid dream, brought on by my shock of seeing Tifa after all these years...........)  
  
A flower that had lain in her hands, which were clapsed across her chest, fell into her lap as soon as she sat up.  
  
And she began to scream.  
  
"Wha---mfft---grunt---smack---the hell?"Barret was stirring, albeit slowly. Aeris did the only thing she could think of at the moment.  
  
She set him on fire.  
  
By the Gods, it wasn't intentional! But she couldn't let slip that a stupid little nightmare had scared her and she saw the bucket of water near her head on the floor that Tifa used to mop up the drunks' vomit, and it was the only thing she could do at that exact moment, and................GOD, SHE DIDN'T MEAN IT!  
  
"Shi-! I'm on fire!"Barret began dancing around, beating with his hand and his gunarm at the flames.  
  
"We TOLD you to stop actin' so big, Barret........"Biggs wheezed sleepily.  
  
"Of COURSE you're on fire, boss........."Wedge added in the same half- concious state.  
  
And then Tifa woke up."FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!"she screamed, yelling at Barret to stop, drop, and ROLL, for Gods' sake! Jessie darted for the fire extinguisher, only to have it erupt into a burst of white foam back at her face, as soon as she triggered the nozzle.  
  
Aeris finally stopped laughing too hard and grabbed the mop bucket, throwing it's contents over the flaming AVALANCHE leader. Barret lay on the ground, a charred, angry mess.  
  
"FOO'S! WHICH ONE OF YA DID THIS?!?!?!"Aeris yawned and cast Cure on him to heal the greater part of his burns. "Rggggghhhhh.............."  
  
She hoped he would either stop shaking or explode, and just get it over with. Jessie was dusting the white foam off of her clothes rather sheepishly."I was messin' around with the fire extinguisher one day, and thought I'd make a few adjustments......."  
  
"Kgggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!"  
  
"Uh, nothin', nevermind."  
  
After a rather silent breakfast(for no one wanted to incur Barret's wrath after the incident that morning), midday found the members of AVALANCHE climbing on the train to the Sector 5 reactor.  
  
"Hey Aeris, come look at this with me."  
  
(Oh, Gods. Not again.)"It's alright."  
  
"Oh, looks like you've seen this before. It's okay. Come a little closer so you can see better."  
  
"Yeah, I've seen it before. Eight dozen times already."  
  
"Well, there's no need to get an attitude about it."  
  
"Seeing as how I grew up here and all, I'd say it's pretty hard for me to forget how the Midgar map model works."  
  
Tifa looked interested now."Really? You didn't grow up in Nibelheim? Then, who..........?"  
  
(What the? Oh.)"He was talking to that other guy. The MD."  
  
"I guess that explains it."Tifa frowned, and Aeris headed back to where the rest of the rebel members were gathered.  
  
(We've still got some catching up to do. About that day 5 years ago............)  
  
(...............and maybe even now.)  
  
(No! I won't believe it! ..........No, it's not possible. I'll confront those facts only when I have to. And, maybe not even then.)  
  
She fingered the flower, where she had shoved it rather unceremoniously into her pocket. Call it folly if you would, but something told her that keeping it around might serve some actual purpose someday. It was a rose, but not red. White. White, fading to a creamy yellow around the outside, and a pale pink on the inside.  
  
Aeris looked up as the emergency lights on the train began flashing red.'Unauthorized passengers in Car A! Preparing for lockdown!'  
  
Jessie came bursting back through the door."There's been a problem!"she shouted over the commotion."I'll explain later! Just hurry and get to the next car!"  
  
As Aeris, Tifa, and Barret entered into the next compartment, several people were trying to hold up the remaining AVALANCHE members near the front. Biggs headbutted one, while Jessie punched the other one in the stomach."This way!"she cried back.  
  
Aeris gritted her teeth as she pitched forward blindly in the darkness, ignoring the several robbery attempts and the even more attempts to sneak in a quick feel as she ran by. However, up the near the front, an old man slipped something in her pocket and whispered a few words to her that sounded suspiciously like 'Good luck'.  
  
In the next compartment, a Shinra soldier, an old man, and a little boy were all sitting alone, and completely naked. Aeris didn't even stop to wonder, just kept on towards the front of the train.  
  
Up in the front, the appearances of Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie in completely different clothing than their usual informed Aeris of the plight of the passengers in the previous car. Tifa flung open the compartment door."Alright, watch closely! I'm gonna jump!"  
  
And she vanished.  
  
(Idiocy!)Aeris had time to think before Barret practically pushed her out the door. Revenge for setting him on fire, she knew.(We'll all be killed like the incompetent retards that we are!)  
  
At least she had enough common sense to tuck in her limbs and just roll. Barret clearly didn't have that much intellegence; the loud 'oofs!' and swears that he omitted could have been heard from miles around and could have offended even the most crude of the slum folk.  
  
"Awright!"he shouted, standing up."The reactor's at the end of this tunnel!"  
  
The three of them stretched out their arms and legs experimentally, before heading off down the tunnel.  
  
  
  
*************************************************************  
  
  
  
"No. Way."Aeris stared at Barret like he was crazy."There's no way I'm sliding down this. It's crazy, do you hear me?! Cra---"  
  
He pushed her down.  
  
Aeris hit the metal pipe hard and went sliding down on her butt, the thought of pummeling Barret as soon as she was on solid ground the only thing keeping her from screaming. The whole idea was lunacy. As soon as they had entered the reactor through an air vent(once again, seeing Barret trying to squeeze his way into THAT one was another thing that kept her fears at bay), the three of them had entered atop a platform on the reactor. The way they were supposed to go was a tiny door..............at the bottom.  
  
And the only way down was by means of the damnable pipe. The blasted, bloody thing had no sides.  
  
At least, when she hit the bottom, Barret went skidding over her head from a sheer overabundance of pure momentum, and crashed into the wall. Tifa made the most graceful dismount of them all, merely skidding along the rest of the distance on her butt, instead of trying to stop as Aeris and Barret had done. Problem was, it gave the other two resistance members present a clear shot of her black thong. Something Aeris had NOT wanted to see.  
  
"Let's go, foo's!"Barret ordered, leading the way through the door, that now seemed so much larger since the three of them were down on the ground.  
  
But when Aeris went to set the bomb, she had another glitch again.  
  
"Papa?!" There was Tifa, standing over her father, with a long, bloody sword laying next to him."Sephiroth?! Sephiroth did this to you, didn't he?!" She looked ready to cry."Shinra..........SOLDIER.......Mako reactors.........everything!"She screamed the next part to the world.  
  
"I hate them all!!!!!!!"  
  
And she picked up the sword and ran out of sight.  
  
Aeris couldn't quite remember how the incident with Tifa had come about. But she could remember Sephiroth."Tifa........?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"When...........I.......no, forget........... Come on, we've gotta hurry!"  
  
She could figure the rest out later.  
  
At the top, near the exit, something was wrong."Shinra soldiers?!"cried Tifa, as the red-suited mini-army came rushing towards them from the left.  
  
"........A trap........."Aeris knew one when she saw one. And out from the darkness appeared a man, a portly man dressed in a rich red suit, with thinning blond hair and cold blue eyes.  
  
Barret looked stunned."Presi............President Shinra?!"  
  
"Ah, and you must be that.............what was it called?"  
  
"AVALANCHE! And don't you forget it! So you're President Shinra, hunh?"  
  
Aeris had met him only once before, however..........."............Long time no see, President."  
  
His gaze flickered to her."Oh, you. You were the one who quit SOLDIER not long ago, correct? I knew you'd been exposed to Mako, from the look in your eyes.......... Tell me, traitor. What was your name?"  
  
(Hmph. Stuck up SOB.)"Aeris."  
  
"Forgive me for asking, but I can't be expected to remember every person's name. Not unless you become another Sephiroth."Now his face grew pensive."Sephiroth................ He was brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant.........."  
  
Aeris reeled again.".........Sephiroth..........?"  
  
Barret was tired of having the spotlight taken away from him."Don't care 'bout none of that! This place's goin' up with a big BANG soon! Serves ya'll right!"  
  
The calculating tyrant was back again."And such a waste, just to get rid of vermin like you."  
  
"VERMIN?! That's all you can say, 'VERMIN'?! Ya'll Shinra are the VERMIN, killin' the Planet! And that makes you King VERMIN! So shu'up, jackass!"  
  
"You are beginning to bore me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner I must attend."  
  
"Dinner?! Don't gimme that! I ain't even started with you yet!"  
  
The President looked amused."Oh, but I've made arrangements for a special playmate for you all."He snapped his fingers, and a whizzing noise could be heard from the left, near Tifa.  
  
"?! What's that noise?!"she cried, as Barret ran towards her. Suddenly, shooting in between the two of them and towards Aeris, came a metallic machine with several guns and spiked wheels.  
  
"Meet 'Airbuster', a techo-soldier."President Shinra smiled."Our Weapons Development Department created him. I'm sure that the data he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in further experiments. Now, if you'll excuse me."  
  
Aeris tried to run after him."Wait, President!"(No! Does he know more than he's letting on? I've got to---)  
  
"Uh, Aeris!"The thing was forcing Tifa and Barret back towards the wall."L'il help here!"  
  
"THIS is from SOLDIER?"  
  
Well, that just disgusted Aeris."No way! It's just a machine!"  
  
"Who cares?!"Barret brandished his gun-arm."I'm gonna bust him up!"  
  
Aeris closed the gap between herself and her comrades, Vereorvis already coming into her hands. The Airbuster was walled in. 'Rear Gun!' it said(?) in a mechanical voice, firing at Aeris. Well, damn. NO, it couldn't fire at Tifa or Barret, at whom it was facing! It just HAD to shoot bullets out of it's ass!  
  
Well, she was angry enough to use her Limit Break, now."Luminarium!"Vereorvis began to glow, as Aeris held it high in the air. Suffused with the power of her anger, she brought her sword crashing down in a white burst of light, nearly spliting the techno-piece-of-crap-thing into two.  
  
It didn't kill it, though, a small weeny casting of Bolt from the other side(whether it was Tifa or Barret was yet to be seen) finished the job. Airbuster began to spark and fizz and vibrate violently. A ring of metal flew off into the air; Aeris caught it. Oh. A Titan Bangle. She'd seen one on display at the weapons shop back in Sector 7, but it hadn't been for sale. Good thing she hadn't tried to buy it off, she got this one for free. Things were looking up.  
  
And then Airbuster exploded.  
  
The ground underneath of Aeris suddenly disintegrated into nothingness, as Barret and Tifa rushed to her side.  
  
"Damn!"the former roared. Tifa looked distraught.  
  
"Barret, can't you do anything?!"she cried, stretching her hand out to the rather disenfranchised ex-SOLDIER. Barret shrugged helplessly.  
  
"Not a damn thing."  
  
Aeris was getting tired of their defeated attitudes."I'll be fine! This whole place's gonna explode! Get out while you still can! I'll catch up to you guys later!"  
  
Barret still looked uneasy, but gave in."Awright...........later."  
  
A great jet of flame shot out from the exit where they had first come in, and the platform Aeris was holding on to began to shake. She felt her fingers slipping, slipping, slipping..............  
  
The last thing she saw before she fell was the sorrow on Barret and Tifa's faces.  
  
  
  
  
  
AN~Kweh heh heh. You know it's not the end! We've still got many more discs left to go, people!*takes deep breaths* Anyway, sorry this part is so long. Like, I wanted to go back and make it shorter, but then I realized how bizarre that would be, and.......oh, well! You'll just have to put up with long chapters, I suppose!^_^*evil grin* Ooh, a last minute chapter dedication! I got to thinking, and realized that I haven't dedicated a SINGLE chapter of ANY of my stories to my friend, Dark Reaper!*waves* Sorry! I mean, he's reviewed pretty much EVERY SINGLE ONE of my fanficcies(like PinkStarz, that review whore), and I haven't dedicated a chapter to him ONCE. It makes me feel like poo. So thus, here you are!*hands over chapter dedication* Yay! Me life is complete, lads! Ooh, if you want to see more of this, better start telling everyone you know to review! Because I'm doing the same thing I'm doing with HICB, only updating until I get a certain # of reviews per chappy. Because of FF7's utter lack of readers, though, I lowered the number to eight a chapter. So get movin'!*smile* ~Vereor Veritas~, ~*~tigerofthewind~*~ 


	3. Rudis

Oc e Ne- Yes and No ~*~ A Final Fantasy VII AU~*~  
  
Chapter Three-Rudis("Staff")  
AN~Back! Sorry about that uber-long break....I REALLY had to get out a new chapter in 'Hey! I Could Be A Messenger From Hyne, Ya Know!' before my 200+ reviewers skinned me to death.....*backs away nervously* Anywho, here this is! Written when I should be doing my AP US History DBQ's!*cough* Well, this had been itching at me for a while, so I decided to keep on with it. Although, if I don't get enough reviews for every chapter, then I'm going to stop with this. I thought 10 was a little extremist, so let's go for 8 a chapter, okay?*smile* ~Vereor Veritas~, ~*~tigerofthewind~*~  
Aeris was screwed. She knew it, completely and in it's sucky, sucky entirety. Well, it wasn't as though she'd never FALLEN before in her life, but from a 200-ft. Mako reactor to an endless abyss of nothingness? Didn't sound like her idea of fun. For the first time in her life, she was actually.........well, she was actually scared.  
  
Three, two...............  
  
"...............Float."  
  
(That voice again.........and the flower.............the lights from the reactor are so bright........... No, Float's too late to save me now..............)  
  
Aeris felt herself crash through something hard than land on something both hard and soft as something cracking into the back of her head sent her into blackness yet again.  
~*~*~  
"................You all right?"  
  
"..........Yeah."  
  
"Ha ha ha............. You are an angel, Aerith, but it looks as though you cannot fly yet."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"For what else do I lend you my wings? .........Remember, Aerith."  
  
"What if I don't want to remember? It's you, isn't it? Am I dead? Or are you..............?"  
  
"Only a fool asks the question they know the answer to."  
  
"The hideout..........."  
  
"Yes, that was me. ............I hear footsteps. Stay safe, flower of my heart, until we meet again."  
  
"What---? When---?"  
  
"You want to know? Then, wake up!"  
~*~*~  
"Hello, hello?"  
  
Aeris twitched slightly on the ground. Or was it the ground? Was she really dead? Float..........  
  
"Are you all right, miss? Hello, hello?"  
  
Another twitch."Oh! She moved!"(Would you look at that, folks?)She managed to croak out some words."I'll..........be fine..........."  
  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Aeris fluttered her eyes open, blinking quickly to adjust her eyes to the light and dispel the spots that had covered her vision. Standing above her was the man from Sector 1, the one in navy blue that perfectly matched his eyes, and that shoulder- length golden hair............."You okay?"he asked, sitting back on his heels from where he had been squatting next to her.  
  
Aeris sat up, putting a hand to her aching head."............Yeah."  
  
This time, he stood up, dusting off his robes, articles of clothing Aeris couldn't quite get used to."The roof and the flower bed broke your fall. You're lucky."  
  
"Flower bed...........?"Aeris looked around, and saw indeed that she was surrounded by violently yellow flowers. She jumped off of it in a rush, kicking at the floors of the building she was in rather embarrassedly."Is this yours? Sorry about that."  
  
The man laughed; he had a nice laugh, but it did little if anything to ease the sadness in his eyes."No, it's not mine. It used to belong to a girl I knew, but she left from here to find a better life.............I think it was about ten years ago."  
  
This time, he smiled a smile that reached his eyes, and made them glow almost akin to Aeris' own."Hello, Aerith."  
  
She gaped, dropped her jaw open at him in the rudest of ways."Y-You're--- How---What---Who are you?"  
  
"Me?"He pointed at himself."You don't remember me? I'm...............Cloud."  
  
(Cloud.............)Aeris vaguely recalled the name. They made small talk for a while:"......Me? I do a little bit of everything........." and such. Until finally............  
  
A man appeared at the back of the church, with flaming red hair and eyes the color of aquamarine. Cloud turned towards the back of the church and regarded him a little uneasily."Aeris, do me a favor. Will you get me out of here? Take me home."  
  
(Hmmm. An interesting development. But hey, the gil was left with Tifa and Barret, so......)"Okay.....but it'll cost you."  
  
It seemed to take him off guard."I.......I don't have any money............"Sheepishly, he bent down and picked her a flower."Sorry. I've got collateral."He seemed so distressed that Aeris decided to lighten up on him a bit. Maybe he had more money at home.  
  
"Tell you what........."she offered, bouncing around the Titan Bangle she had found from Airbuster on her hands like a ball,"........how about if you go out with me once?"  
  
"I, uh..............WHAT?"He looked so flustered that she had to laugh.  
  
"I like dark and handsome myself, but you'll have to do............"she teased, and turned towards the redheaded man who was walking towards them."You don't know me?"Another glitch."No, wait. I know you."  
  
Three of Shinra's regular soldiers were with him."Hey sis,"one of them cracked,"this one's a little weird."  
  
Aeris was angry now."Shut up! You Shinra spy!"  
  
"Hey, Reno! Want her taken out?"  
  
The man whom Aeris supposed was called Reno shrugged."I haven't decided."  
  
Cloud was already running for the back, woefully inadequate silver staff balanced in front of him."Don't fight here! You'll ruin Aerith's flowers! Aerith, the exit is back here!"  
  
(My flowers?)Aeris removed her hands from where she had them placed on Vereorvis' hilt, and took off after Cloud. In the back of the church was a conglomeration of stairs, barrels, and planks. Aeris had started for the top with ease, but Cloud was having a few diffuculties. When they reached a particularly wide gap, he backed up a few steps and shook his head stubbornly. Aeris sighed impatiently and was about to argue with him when Reno and the other three appeared at the bottom of the steps.  
  
"The Ancient is getting away!"he shouted, as though such a thing occuring would completely ruin his day."Attack! Attack! Attack!"  
  
And at the sudden barrage of bullets, two of them were lucky and struck Cloud, one on his upper right arm and the other near his left shoulder. Aeris cursed the worst curses she could think of at the moment when he lost his balance and began toppling down the long pipe at the center of the church, robes flopping insanely. If the situation hadn't been so dire, she would have laughed at how absurd he looked.  
  
"Think we killed 'em? They shouldn't have put up a fight, I say!"  
  
(God, how I hate him. He's so friggin' annoying.)"Shut up, you ass!"she shouted down at Reno, causing all of the soldiers' heads to turn."No one likes to hear you talk but yourself! Rggggggh!!!!!"She was so angry that she actually managed to make a Barret-brand 'noise-of-annoyance'.  
  
Cloud, making use of the rather humorous diversion, had headed for the lowest flight of stairs, but found his path arrested by a soldier. And, even more unfortunately, his staff was up at the top of the church where he had dropped it near Aeris."Aeris, can you give me a hand down here?"  
  
What the hell did he expect her to do? Fly?! 'Ha ha ha............. You are an angel, Aerith, but it looks as though you cannot fly yet................' Another noise of annoyance. Now was NOT the time. And up top, glinting from the silver metal bands around it's middle........"A barrel? Maybe if I push it over........."  
  
Well, no harm in trying. She pushed it over, and watched as it made a satisfying thumping noise as it promptly squished the solder who'd been harassing Cloud.  
  
(Oh, crap. An entourage.)Some dumb little orange ball thing was attacking her. A single hit killed it, but it distracted her from what was really important."Aeris, can you give me a hand down here?"  
  
This time, she just lunged at the nearest barrel and hurled it down. And, while it nearly beheaded the loathsome Reno(always a plus!), it failed in incapacitating the soldier who posed the more immediate threat."Damn!"  
  
Cloud looked rather trapped, until Aeris(in a sudden stroke of inspiration to replace for her bout of stupidity a few moments ago) threw down the Titan Bangle she had stuffed some materia in to him, and he cast Fire, completely obliterating the man. Aeris, in spite of everything, was impressed. The man knew his magic, and was good at what he knew.  
  
"Aeris, can you give me a hand down here?"This time, she was ready for it, and smashed the man before he even had time to think. All soldiers minus Reno(who'd seemed to have suddenly disappeared) gone, Aeris and Cloud ascended to the top again(this time Cloud had no qualms about jumping the heinous gap) and crossed the rafters to the hole in the roof from which Aeris had originally fallen. There, they stopped for a few minutes to catch their breath.  
  
Cloud, despite sitting down in a dejected heap and sounding horribly out of breath, managed a few wheezy laughs that once again, didn't reach his eyes."Ha, ha, ha.............they're after me again."  
  
Aeris blinked."You mean it's not the first time they've been after you?"(Man.......not bad for a guy who dresses like the former Wutaian housewife next door, Mrs. Peili.)  
  
He hung his head, hair shining like a halo."...........No."  
  
"They're the Turks."  
  
"Hmmm..........."  
  
"They scout out for possible canidates for SOLDIER."  
  
This time, Cloud looked up."Like this? I thought they were out to get somebody bad."  
  
"Yeah, well........"Aeris suddenly realized that maybe Shinra HADN'T been the best company to run to."They're involved in a lot of dirty stuff on the side. Spying, murder.........you know."  
  
"They look like it."  
  
"But.........."('You'll ruin Aerith's flowers!'.........)"..........why're they after you? They must be a reason, right?"  
  
He pretended to think hard about it."No............ Maybe they think I'm top-notch SOLDIER quality, or something."  
  
"Maybe you are. If you want to, you should join."  
  
"Well, I don't want to get caught by THOSE morons!"He stood up and looked at her, levelly. Those blue eyes, that navy glow burning into her own."Aerith, take me home, won't you?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go."  
  
They jumped from building roof to building roof for a while, until Aeris stopped on the top of an old shack after she realized that Cloud was extremely far behind her, nearly stumbling in his haste to catch up. Well, since she didn't want him falling to his death after all the trouble she had gone through for him.......  
  
"Wait! Give me some time to catch up, will you? You don't even know the way to my house!"Clearly, rooftop climbs weren't exactly his specialty. Aeris sighed, and tried to wait as patiently as she could.(Well, if I had to spend my days wandering around and trying to do all the stuff I do in a pair of oversized robes, I guess I'd have a few troubles, too. This skirt is bad enough as it is, even though I cut slits in the side and wear pants underneath.)  
  
Finally, a rather out-of-breath-looking Cloud appeared beside her, panting hard and propping himself up with his staff."D-Don't leave me........."Not feeling pity for him at all in his enfeebled state, her tone grew teasing.  
  
"Funny.............I thought you were top-notch SOLDIER material?"  
  
He looked at her as though he couldn't quite believe she just said that, then comprehension dawned."Hey, that's a pretty cheap shot!"he laughed, shaking his head. Gesturing around, he asked:"Can we take a breather here?"  
  
Aeris nodded, and the two of them sat down on the roof, overlooking the slums below. She cast around for something to say, but Cloud picked up for her."Hey, Aerith. Did you ever make it into SOLDIER?"  
  
".........Yeah. What made you guess?"  
  
"Your eyes. They've got a strange glow........"  
  
"It's the sign of those who have been infused with Mako."Aeris shuddered, remembering."........A mark of SOLDIER."A frown flitted across her face."But, how did you know about that?"  
  
Cloud stood up and tried to look nonchalant."Oh, don't worry about it."  
  
Aeris gave him a suspicious look, but stood up as well."You're telling ME not to worry about it?"  
  
He nodded and started away."Right, don't worry about it. Let's go, bodyguard."  
  
She wanted to smile and say something nice because of the name, but it wasn't in her nature. And, he was already jumping ahead to the next rooftop.  
~*~*~  
Blonde and brunette waited for the lone man who was walking towards the church to pray for his pet dogs like he did everday to pass before they jumped down a series of broken pipes and landed at last on solid ground. Cloud gestured off to the northwest."My house is over there. We'd better move before they find us."  
  
Nodding her assent, Aeris drew Vereorvis and began to walk. However, something had been bothering her. While she had only seen Cloud in battle one time, he'd used Fire in that case and hadn't really proved his effectiveness in hands-on combat. The ex-SOLDIER wanted to get a sense of how good he was, especially with that woefully inadequate-looking staff. The truth was, if that Reno guy came back with some SOLDIER recruits, they might be screwed.  
  
"Hey, Cloud."He stopped walking and looked at her. Aeris waved around Vereorvis."Your thing got a name?"  
  
He looked slightly amused."My 'thing'?"  
  
Aeris stopped; blushed."Shaddup, you ass. I meant that staff of yours."  
  
His amusement only grew."I knew that. What did you think I was talking about?"  
  
"Kghhh!"Wow, she was getting good at those noises."Just forget about it."  
  
Cloud instantly looked sorry for it."Okay Aerith, I'll stop making fun, I promise."He held the slim stick of silver out to her."Yeah, this thing's special. Saved me more times than I can count. It's called Celoferrum."  
  
"Hunh."Aeris looked at it, it was heavier than what she figured it would be, but still pathetically light."'Hidden sword', eh? I don't see one."  
  
He took it back; twirled it around expertly. Even if it wasn't very strong, he still knew how to use it."Of course you don't. That's why it's named 'HIDDEN sword', obviously."And, drawing the thing around to his front and balancing it before him, two narrow and very lethal-looking blades popped out of the ends."See?"  
  
They had reached a juncture in the streets, where two nasty-looking bandits appeared and tried to mug them. Before Aeris even had time to think Vereorvis had come naturally into her hands, completely obliterating the thug with a single movement. She had a few moments to watch Cloud, who was a little slower, whirl Celoferrum around in a tight double-loop to finish off the other one.  
  
Aeris collected the gil, then frowned thoughtfully. He knew how to use magic and a staff, and use both of them well. How had he grown up.......?  
  
"Over here!"Cloud was yelling, and running into the town below Sector 5. Shaking herself free from any rogue thoughts, Aeris followed him.  
  
Nearly tripping over the woman who spent all of her days searching around on the ground for dropped items or gil, Aeris followed Cloud to a narrow triangle of light off to the right, where the drab scenery of Midgar changed.  
  
Light from some invisible source spread across the area, and a large garden fenced in with brown wooden posts held a variety of bright yellow flowers like those at the church. A waterfall gleamed in the distance, and a short but cozy-looking house sat off to the left.  
  
Aeris felt the whole world come crashing down on her all at once. Her house. This was her house.  
  
(But how is it possible...............? Did......something happen to Mom?! Did she.......die?! Was the house sold?! Am I really alone now?!)  
  
'You'll ruin Aerith's flowers!'  
  
Still in a daze, she entered through the door after Cloud.  
  
It was the same house, same interior. The kitchen stove off to the right, in that corner. The table set in the center of the room. The cabinents all around, the carpeted floor, and the stairs that went up to her room.............  
  
"I'm home, Mother!"Cloud shouted, and thumped down into the kitchen chair unceremoniously, propping Celoferrum up in the corner. Footsteps, and the stairs creaked as a stately woman with brown hair pulled up in a bun came stepping down.........  
  
Aeris felt the world give an almighty whirl, and she clutched the wall for support. Her mother........this was HER mother. But then, what about Cloud? Her mother still lived here.....and so did he?"Wha.......What's going on........?"she asked, bewildered. Elmyra Gainsborough slipped a speculative look in her direction.  
  
"I didn't know you brought home company, Cloud,"she said, walking up to the taller brunette."I've never seen you with a girl before.........and this one's so pretty; reminds me of Aerith when she was younger..........."  
  
Aeris felt dizzy again. So much was happening around her......... From far away, she saw Cloud turn red, and heard him speak.  
  
"This is my bodyguard,"he told Elmyra, tactfully not looking at either Elmyra nor Aeris. In an instant, the elderly woman forgot about Aeris.  
  
"Bodyguard?! You mean you were followed again?! You're not hurt, are you?!"  
  
Cloud shook his magnificently golden head."No, I'm fine. I had Aerith with me."  
  
Elmyra turned back to her."Thank you, Aerith---"she started, then her eyes grew large as she finally looked on the truth biting her in the ass."A- Aerith............?"  
  
Fearing her mother might have a heart attack of sorts, Aeris spoke quickly before she could interrupt."Yeah, it's me, Mom. I'm back in Midgar, quit SOLDIER. Wasn't my life, I guess. Got a job around here; Sector 7. Just started working there, thought I'd come home and visit you when I saw Cloud get in some trouble. We're all right, though, but I really ought to--- "  
  
"Aerith!!!"her mother shouted then, and pulled her into a great enormous expanse of a hug. Suddenly encompassed by the green and white of Elmyra's dress, Aeris was glad that no one could see her face break into a wide smile."Dear, you're home!"  
  
Cloud looked extremely pleased with himself.  
~*~*~  
Some time later, the three of them sat down at the dinner table, enjoying a relative feast that Elmyra had whipped up in a frenzy, still hugging and crying over Aeris' return at the same time. Still, the ex-SOLDIER had a lot of questions on her mind.  
  
"Mom...........I know I should probably know this, and I know it sounds rude, but..........who's Cloud?"  
  
Aeris saw a flash of gold as he looked up at the sound of his name. Elmyra frowned."Well, it was so long ago when we took him in.............. About fifteen years ago, I think. You were already working hard at three jobs, wanting to earn enough money to be sent off to the military academy at Junon.........even then, you always wanted to be a SOLDIER."She smiled fondly at her daughter."Well, poor Cloud had no family of his own, and I thought you wouldn't mind. Still, not even a year after that, you left for the Academy.........I was proud of you, but I missed you. Cloud stayed here for a while when you were gone."  
  
(Hmmm. So I DIDN'T really know him. Just happenstance.)But as she flicked a quick glance around in his direction, she saw that something in his face had changed, as though he had remembered............would always remember. Aeris turned her attention back to her mother and shrugged."Oh. I'm glad you weren't lonely all those years, Mom. I'm sorry I never wrote."  
  
"It's all right. I figured you were busy; hoped that the Company would let you come home on leave.........."  
  
(Like Dad?)But Aeris didn't say anything. Instead, it was Cloud who spoke."Hey Aerith, what are you going to do now?"  
  
She thought.(Should probably find Big Boobs and Black Man Empowerment. They might actually be worried about me.)"Do you know the way to Sector 7? I want to go to Tifa's bar."  
  
"You're a bar hostess, then?"A slight hint of reprove was on Elmyra's face, but somehow Aeris thought she'd dislike her being a resistance member even more than that, so it had to do."Yeah, it gets me some gil. Odd jobs here and there, Mom."  
  
Cloud had mild interest on his face."Is Tifa a girl friend of yours?"  
  
(Well, that's surprising. All the more power to him, though. I thought for sure he was gay.)"Not girlfriend in the weird sense, but yeah, she's a friend of mine. Who happens to be a girl."  
  
He turned to Elmyra."Mom, I'll be back in a while. I'll take Aerith to Sector 7."  
  
She began to look worried."But, dear---Oh, I give up. You never listen once you've made up your mind. But if you must go, why not go tomorrow? It's getting late now."  
  
Cloud checked out the window."Yeah, you're right. Come on, Aerith, you can stay in my room and I'll sleep downstairs by the fire---"He headed upstairs in mid-sentence. Elmyra looked uncomfortable, then broached what had been on her mind.  
  
"Aerith..........would you please leave here, tonight? Without telling Cloud."  
  
(Hunh? She'd let me go by myself, but wouldn't DARE endangering her precious little baby......... Hmph. I feel shortchanged.)"Why?"  
  
Her mother shook her head."The danger that he's in, the danger you put him in.........I can't explain. If you don't know, or don't remember, then I won't tell you. Ask Cloud."  
  
And she refused to say anymore about the subject. Aeris didn't know whether to be pissed at her mother or worried for Cloud as she went upstairs. 'Ask Cloud.' Maybe she would, someday. But not tonight. She could make it to Sector 7 on her own, and something in her mother's tone warned her that maybe she shouldn't judge her words by first appearance...........  
  
Cloud was standing by the door of her room when she entered the upstairs.(Well, I guess it's his room, now.)Aeris shook the depressing thought from her head. But it seemed as though Cloud was reading her mind, because he said suddenly:  
  
"It used to be our room, before you left."He spoke a little fast."Mother had two beds put in, and we shared a room when we were smaller........I guess you don't remember."  
  
A glitch, just when she thought she'd gotten rid of them."No, I........remember."  
  
A small fragment, of her sitting at home crying because she'd failed her first entrance exam to the Academy, and Cloud, who was a year younger than her, sitting on the bed beside her and telling her angrily:'Who needs SOLDWER? It's stupid!' in the petulant voice of a young child. He had been six, she had been seven. It seemed like such a long time ago.  
  
This time, a smile that lit up his eyes."I'm glad."  
  
Aeris stepped into the room and looked around. It was the same, only a little bit messier than what she would have kept it. Two separate sides, even a line drawn on the floor with duct tape, a result of one of their rare disputes. Aeris' memory might not have been whole, but she remembered that for the few months they were together, they hardly ever fought.  
  
It was all coming back to her, like a dream."I guess you can have your old bed,"Cloud was saying, scratching the back of his head embarrassedly."I'll be downstairs if you need something."And he left, closing the door silently behind him. Aeris shed her clothes, borrowed a lacy pink nightgown of her mothers' that was a little too short on her, and climbed into bed. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but before she had, one thought crossed her mind.  
  
(..........I'm home.)  
~*~*~  
".......Aerith."  
  
"What?! You're---"  
  
"Do you remember when we first met? You were seven......it was fifteen years ago."  
  
"Not long enough ago, I say."  
  
".......Do not trust that other one."  
  
"And I'm listening to you.........why?!"  
  
"................Because I know the holes in your memory."  
  
"What?! What do you know?! Tell me!"  
  
".............You should try asking yourself."  
  
"Stop messing around, damn you!"  
  
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha................................................................"  
~*~*~  
Aeris awoke in a cold sweat. Another flower, like the yellow ones that grew outside her house, fell into her lap.(Oh, no.)  
  
What were the point of all those dreams? Were they a clue to finding what lay behind those holes in her memory? She shook her head and stood up, walking to the threshold of the door. Without even being aware that she was doing it, she spoke aloud."Sector 7's through Sector 6...........I should be all right by myself."  
  
She crept down the stairs slowly, skipping the first and last steps because she remembered that they creaked. She had just headed to the laundry basket near the stove to grab her clothes when a voice spoke out of the darkness.  
  
".............Aerith?"Cloud.  
  
"Well, I'm caught."She shrugged sheepishly as he turned and looked at her. He'd pulled a large armchair up to the fire and had been sitting there dozing, but he looked wide awake as though he'd never slept.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I, uh, I'm..........."  
  
"You're leaving us again, aren't you?"It wasn't a question."Does Mother know?"  
  
"........Yeah. She knows."  
  
"Hmmm."A pause. Then:"Aerith, come here for a second."  
  
(What does he want? I've got to find a change of clothes and get moving.)But she obediently crossed the room and sat down on the warm tiles next to him, leaning her head up against the chair leg."What's up?"  
  
She thought he was going to say something deep or spiritually enlightening, but all he did was drop her Titan Bangle back into her hand."Thanks for letting me use it."  
  
"But---"  
  
"But what?"Was it her imagination, or did he sound...........ANGRY with her?"If Mother knows, I guess it's alright to leave, hunh?"He lowered his voice."Aerith, stay. If not for my sake, then Mother's. I don't think she could take it if something happened to you.......and with you getting mixed up with those resistance members, something's bound to happen, one way or another."  
  
(Aha. So he knows.)"I can't explain it, but I've got to get back. Don't worry, though, I'll be fine."  
  
He looked considerably distraught."Then, I'm coming to Sector 7 with you."  
  
Aeris shook her head stubbornly.(Mom knows something's going to happen to him if I let him go. And since those guys are after him, for whatever reason it may be, I don't want him in danger again.)"Cloud, try to understand---"  
  
His hair burned gold in the firelight, but he looked defeated."No, you're right. Mother says I'm too stubborn..........but it's not that. I know she told you to leave me behind. She's got cause; she's worried about me. But I'll be fine; you'll be with me."  
  
For the last time, she shook her head."I'm sorry."  
  
He shrugged."Well, at least you'll be able to visit when you come to bomb the next reactor they build above our heads."  
  
Aeris yawned; at least he was taking it well. If anything, a little TOO well............ He leaned over and tousled her hair, which had come undone from it's braid and fell to her lower back in waves."You should get some more sleep, so you can head off in the morning."  
  
She felt herself nodding, sleepily."And Aerith...........? Sleep well."  
  
('Sleep well'..........or 'Sleepel'..........?)  
  
But before she could think again, she was asleep.  
~*~*~  
Elmyra was angry. Well, it wasn't the sort of angry that you'd think, because she never showed it, but angry nonetheless."I thought you were going to leave last night........?"  
  
Aeris shrugged, swallowed the pancakes she'd been shoveling down her mouth, and answered:"Well, I fell asleep. I'm leaving this morning, Mom."(Sheez. You'd think she WANTED to get rid of me.)  
  
"I suppose it can't be helped. Cloud left for the church early this morning, so at least there's no harm done."  
  
Another swallow."He......what?"  
  
Elmyra looked at her like she was an idiot."He left for the church, dear. He goes there almost every day. Mayor Domino himself hired him to rebuild the place."Her face grew beaming."He's so good with building things and the like. To think! That the mayor of Midgar HIMSELF would come all the way down here.........."  
  
Aeris wondered what Shinra was really after. If they KNEW about Cloud.......then why would they---? Oh, who cared? Maybe they hadn't been too sure of the facts or something until now. She tugged on her black jean jacket and sheathed Vereorvis."Well, I'm off, Mom. Tell Cloud I said bye."  
  
Elmyra stood quickly, as if in protest."Wait---!"she cried, folding her hands anxiously. Aeris frowned. She and her mother had never been THAT close."Just.....be careful, Aeris. Come home and visit, won't you?"She crossed the table and enveloped Aeris in a hug.  
  
"I'll be fine, Mom. I'll see you again."Trying to look cheerful, she waved and walked out the door. But really, she was sick at heart.  
  
At the juncture between the road that would go through Sector 6, and the road that would take her back to the Sector 5 church, Aeris paused. Should she go and say a proper goodbye to Cloud? Although she couldn't bear to tell her mother, she didn't plan on coming back to Sector 5 for a really long time.  
  
Ultimately, she decided against it. Turning swiftly towards Sector 6, she held her head up high.(If I go back there, he'll try and come with me. And I can't have that. Mom really seems to think something's wrong, and I---)  
  
BAM! So intent was she on her own thoughts, Aeris didn't even notice as she ran right into someone, bouncing back off of them and falling on her ass on the ground."Ooh, sorry, I wasn't paying att---"  
  
She looked up. Did a double take."Cloud?!"  
  
He smiled and offered her a hand up."You're up earlier than I thought you'd be."  
  
Aeris stood up and blinked at him."What are you doing here? Mom said that you were going to the church for the day."  
  
His smile grew."I lied."  
  
(Well, doesn't he look mighty happy with himself. Hmph, he can just turn right around and go home.)"You're not coming with me."  
  
He nodded fervently."Oh, I know. I'm just GOING to Sector 7."That smile looked ready to break his face in two."Coincidentally, you're going at the same time. So we really ought to stick together, right?"  
  
Aeris felt a vein twitch in her eye."Grrr.......... Fine! But if Mom finds out---!"  
  
Cloud mimicked locking up his mouth and throwing away the key."She won't hear it from me."  
  
Groaning about her miserable luck, the tall brunette marched through the hole in the wall that led to Sector 6. After a fashion, a house attacked them.  
  
No, it wasn't a horrible joke. A house actually ATTACKED them. And violently, at that. Sometimes it would spit black liquid at them, other times it would fire a bomb out of it's top. Aeris truly hoped for her Limit Break.  
  
Cloud jumped back from a single side-loop weave, Celoferrum glinting silver in the dull light. The house started to shake, then jumped up in the air, slamming back down and disintegrating, the seismic shock nearly causing Aeris to fall down. Then the stupid thing slashed at her with some arm-leg-blade things that had appeared from out of nowhere, causing her to drop onto one knee.(Ugh.......)  
  
It was the same thing that one day, before she had jumped on the train heading out of Sector 1. From far away, there was a voice---  
  
"Reis's Wind!"  
  
---and her wounds HEALED. Again. Vereorvis slit the roof right off of the house, and it melted into a puddle of nasty-looking goo.  
  
The breeze that had appeared and healed her cuts slowed to a stop, and there was just Cloud there, the last traces of the wind causing his hair to wave back and forth. Aeris, still panting, propped herself up on Vereorvis and regarded him warily."You......did that?"  
  
He nodded, retracted Celoferrum's blades."Of course."  
  
"So then it WAS you."  
  
Another nod."Of course."He didn't play stupid, or deny it. Well, at least one mystery in her life was finally solved. Now the question was, WHY did he help her?  
  
"Hey, thanks for your help."Vereorvis made a scratching sound on the ground as she picked it up and walked on, not bothering to resheath it.  
  
Thankfully, no more of the Hell Houses appeared across their path, only a few purple bug-looking monsters that hunted in packs but weren't very hard to knock off. And then, they were off the road to Sector 6 and at the gates of Sector 7.  
  
"I can't believe it's still here,"Cloud muttered, looking around at the dilapidated children's park that lay before them. He looked back at Aeris."Can we take a break for a second?"  
  
(Damn, he tires out fast. Well, since this is goodbye, I guess............)"Yeah."He walked over to the slide and climbed atop it.  
  
"Aerith, over here!"he shouted, waving. Feeling incredibly stupid, she went to join him. For a while they didn't say anything, until:"Hey, Aerith. What rank were you?"  
  
She frowned."Rank?"  
  
"You know, in SOLDIER."  
  
"Oh."Stupid question."I was First Class."  
  
A small smile, so small it almost couldn't be seen."Oh, so you DID make it. Well, I'm proud of you. Mother always used to talk about how you'd come back some day with all sorts of medals and stories about you in the papers........at least you've made it this far."  
  
"Hey, I'm just not in the papers YET."  
  
A laugh."Of course. It's just, I had this whole image painted of you, and now, you're not at all like what I had in mind."  
  
"Good or bad?"  
  
"Well, I guess it's neither."He suddenly looked uncomfortable."Can we talk about something else?"  
  
Aeris didn't have much else to say, so she was extremely grateful when a chocobo-driven cart wheeled out Sector 7 and towards the area the locals refered to as 'Wall Market'. But in the back of the cart...........  
  
"Tifa?!"  
  
"Woah!"Cloud sat up straight."THAT was Tifa?! But it can't be, the person in the back of that cart was a MAN!"  
  
(What's going on?! Where's Tifa going?!)"Look, I know Big Boobs when I see her! I've got to catch up to her!"  
  
"Big Boobs? You actually CALL her that?! Wait, where was she going........? She looked a little odd.........aside from being dressed as a man, that is."Cloud jumped down from the top of the slide and raced towards the entrance to Wall Market, leaving Aeris standing there.  
  
"Wait! I'll go on alone! You go home!"Her efforts were in vain, for he crossed under the electric sign and was gone.  
  
Aeris frowned so deeply she thought she would forever have a face like Barret's, then took off after Cloud.  
AN~*shrug* Well, this chapter was a little more informative than action........I guess it can't be helped. Anyway, notice the slight alterations from the real game? That's how it goes with an AU.......I didn't want to have the exact same storyline, with the only differences being that Cloud and Aeris switched parts.....that'd be too boring. So, this was the result. As the story progresses, you'll see that more and more things are a bit different, but not drastically so......or maybe drastically so? Ah, hell, I don't know! Ooh, question:What's the deal with Tifa being dressed as a guy? This is where you can put your input in! What should be going on with the big-time man/woman/whatever in Wall Market that invokes Tifa dressing up like a guy? Let me know! ~Vereor Veritas~, ~*~tigerofthewind~*~ 


	4. Odium

Oc e Ne- Yes and No ~*~A Final Fantasy VII AU~*~  
  
Chapter Four-Odium("Hatred")  
AN~Sheez! Another long break! Is it THAT hard to get 8 reviewers a chapter??? Well, maybe it is. I dunno. HICB(my other fic, you all should go check out some of my other fics) is ALWAYS getting too many reviews, faster than I can update, at that! It makes me feel kinda decrepit(and I don't even think I spelled that right......) Oh, whatever! On to fanfic writing! Between this and my novel, I've definitely got a humor kick going on right now...LoL. Hope you find this chapter as funny as I'm going to! ~Vereor Veritas~, ~*~tigerofthewind~*~  
Inside of the sleazy, rather questionable-looking slum of Wall Market, Cloud was asking questions. He bobbed around as polite as you could please, gesturing with his hands and bowing courteously to those who offered him information. As soon as Aeris walked underneath the electric sign in front of the inn, however, he ran over to her and looked positively relieved. Aeris, having been around quite a bit, knew the reason.  
  
"This is a pretty scary place, especially for a guy,"she said, then amended her sentence."Or, a girl dressed up as a guy, for that matter. So just stick around me and we'll find Tifa, fast."She headed purposefully off to the right, hand resting subtly on Vereorvis' hilt, and the other hand held firmly on Cloud's arm. She couldn't risk either he or the man-Tifa to get into any trouble here.  
  
She idly smacked a man's hand away from her gil pouch, and stopped in front of a huge sign that said The Honeybee Inn. Cloud frowned; he clearly hadn't been in Sector 6 before in his life."An inn, hunh? You think Tifa's staying there?"  
  
"Oh ho ho ho,"Aeris laughed. THAT was certainly rich. If Tifa was dressing up as a man just to get a little cozy with those freaks in the Honeybee and raise a little gil, AVALANCHE must be in a more dreadful financial situation then she'd realized. But it wouldn't hurt to ask---and afterward, she'd have to enlighten poor Cloud a little about the REAL state of being inside this place.  
  
The ticket vender whistled soundlessly and sidled up to Cloud."Phew, you've got a piece here, little lady!"While Aeris watched with wary eyes, he circled Cloud and scanned him up and down as a merchant would a horse. Although the second he asked to see Cloud's teeth, Aeris decided, they'd be outta here faster than a mob after the Shinra, Tifa or no.  
  
The vender stood on tiptoe and peered up into Cloud's face. Said Cloud backed away a little nervously, shooting anxious eyes in Aeris' direction for a second. Thoroughly enjoying herself and feeling as though the guy wasn't exactly HURTING Cloud, she decided to let it carry on for a little while longer. The man muttered on."Such a lovely face you haven't seen in the slums in a long time, no sir,"he was rambling."Those eyes, sparkling blue like the ocean should be if those corporate bastards hadn't fucked with it so bad. . .and that hair!"He tugged on it like a child would, nearly giggling like one as well."Such a lovely golden color, like an angel!"  
  
He turned to Aeris."You're his agent, no? How much?"Already he was digging around in his pockets for gil. Aeris succeeded in looking perturbed enough to make the man up the price another 200, then decided to stop pulling his strings. Cloud was gripping her arm hard enough to break both her radius and her ulna.  
  
"Sorry, he's not for sale."Rolling her eyes in some guy's direction who was standing off to the corner looking as though he wasn't sure WHAT the hell he wanted to do, she addressed her next question to whom appeared to be the man in charge."'Scuse me, you know a---"She cleared her throat."You know a guy named Tifa here? Uh, might have changed...his...name or something."  
  
The man frowned; clearly thinking was not something he did on a regular basis."Only guy I know 'round here's named Tempest...brown hair, red eyes? Always wore baggy clothes...gets me to thinkin' about what's underneath."He winked lewdly at Cloud, who took a step back, blinking. Aeris smiled as best as she could through clenched teeth.  
  
"Can I see he---him, please? Tell him Aeris wants him; he'll come. He'd BETTER come,"she added, more to herself than to the man. Tifa certainly had some explaining to do.  
  
The man shook his head."Sorry, lady. You're a cute girl in yer own way, but Tempest's gettin' ready to see the Don tomorrow. The guys're in there workin' him over. Try back tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks."Aeris literally stamped away, kicking a garbage can as she went by, revealing a hobo eating what appeared to be a dead...something or other...behind the metal disposal unit. Cloud hurriedly followed, wisely deciding not to remain at that bizarre place without SOMEONE there to have his back...in the non-literal sense.  
  
"What should we do now?"he asked of Aeris, then jumped a little as someone(of questionable gender, mind you) pinched him from behind. She scowled.  
  
"We can't DO much now,"she retorted,"since Tifa---oh, excuse me, TEMPEST-- -has suddenly decided she wants to go on a little masquerade to do Gods- know-what in this sleazy slum of a town!"She took several deeps breaths and then sighed, shaking her head dejectedly."There's not much we can do, pal."She gave him a half-hearted smile."We'll just wait until tomorrow, head back to the Honeybee, and talk to Tifa then, okay?"  
  
He looked relieved, then nodded."It's alright if you're worried about her,"was all he said, which caused Aeris to stop and stare at him.  
  
"Who says I'm worried? I'm pissed off!"  
  
He smiled, that little half-smile he wore that never reached his eyes."It was always your cover-up for whenever you were really worried about something. You'd always get really mad about something. You must've yelled at me at least a hundred times when we were little."  
  
"Only a hundred?"(Wow. I've yelled more than a hundred times at cheese, I'm certain. Damn cheese, it always looks so tempting until the moment you put it in your mouth, then the sneaky little bastard decides it wants to go all dead-rat on you and then---)  
  
"Well, you were only around for a few months before you left for Junon."Cloud shrugged."I wouldn't expect you to remember that much, if you didn't even remember me."He forced a laugh."Well, while we're here, let's pick up some supplies! I know I'll need some items for later, right?"  
  
(Why is he asking me?)"Uh.....yeah, I guess."Not wanting to jeopardize the moment, she shoved on past some street musicians and into the larger part of Wall Market, complete with items store, inn, materia store(that was currently closed, cheap bastards), and a weapons store. Not to mention that old lady who sat outside the materia store cooking something of questionable comsumption in her giant kettle.  
  
The strange thing was, all of the shopkeeps in the store made a big deal over Cloud. Aeris, knowing full well the background of the people in Wall Market, wouldn't have normally been so surprised, however, several of the gawkers were women.  
  
(Well, maybe this place's changed),she figured, paying the woman at the items store for her new stock of Potions, Tents, and Hypers(hey, a little bit of anger never hurt anyone).  
  
"Such a lovely face,"the woman gushed, but at least she was old enough to be Aeris' mother, which calmed the ex-SOLDIER a bit(although not by much, sometimes the elderly could be more lecherous than the young)."And that hair color is natural? Well, he's certainly due for a trip to Don, if you catch my drift!"She winked at Aeris, who growled and bared her teeth. It was the third time someone had said that to them.  
  
"Thanks,"she managed to get out through clenched teeth, and dragged Cloud off to the weapons store. Thankfully, the man there was interested only in collecting junk and building things, and left the two of them alone to pick out new upgrades for their weapons. Neither Aeris nor Cloud were too keen on parting with their weapons, but a few upgrades never hurt anyone.  
  
She wasn't exactly sure WHAT Cloud did to Celoferrum, the thing looked exactly the same as it had before; but she herself attached a new blade to Vereorvis(the old one had been so worn down by that time it couldn't even cut through butter on a summer day), and decided to get fancy and added a swirling flame pattern to the hilt.  
  
As she paid for the upgrades(rather grudgingly, at that, the place was expensive as hell), the man commented without even looking up:"Take him to the Don."  
  
That was it. Aeris leaped over the counter and grabbed the man by his shirt collar, swinging around the newly upgraded Vereorvis like a maniac. Cloud yelled in shock and tried to pull her back, but Aeris would have none of it. Okay, so Wall Market was filled with homosexual perverts. But what was with the bizarre fascination with Cloud?! Jeez, probably about a dozen cute guys came wandering into this town every day; why now?!  
  
"Hey!"she shouted, shaking the man who didn't even look fazed."What's the big idea?! You're the fourth person today who's said that I should take my buddy Cloud here up to see this 'Don' guy! I know he's cute and all, but this is ridiculous! I'm gettin' tired of all the stares and sightseers and pervs crowding us every second of the day! What's wrong with you people?!"  
  
She must have looked rather hysterical, because Cloud exerted an insane amount of effort and managed to pull her off the man, holding onto her shoulders and trying to apologize to the rather abused shopkeeper.  
  
He, however, looked past Cloud and directly as Aeris, fixing her with a calm stare."Just look at him."  
  
It seemed to be a more cryptic message than common sense, but you could never tell with slum folk, and slum shopkeepers, at that. Yanking herself out of Cloud's grasp more harshly than was needed, Aeris spun on her heel and kicked open the door to the shop, stalking out into the grassy path that was Wall Market's main street, and back towards the inn she had seen on the way in. If they were going to have to wait to meet 'Tempest' until tomorrow, she didn't want to be caught dead out on the streets of this place at night. Especially with Cloud.  
  
She had already made reservations when said Cloud came leaping through the door, leaping mainly to avoid the swift hands of the man advertising rooms for the inn outside. He fixed her with an accusing glare.  
  
"'So just stick around me and we'll find Tifa fast,' she tells me,"he said sarcastically,"but the second I turn around from apologizing to a shopkeeper, she's already out of sight!"He flopped down in one of the lobby chairs, scowling up at her from underneath his bangs. Aeris snorted.  
  
"Completely ungrateful, eh? If it weren't for me in the first place, you'd be dead where you stand---or worse!"  
  
"I've managed this far on my own!"He shoved past her and grabbed the room key before she could get to it.  
  
"How?! By hiding in the shadows every time someone walks down the streets?! By having Mom keep every single person alive out of your existence?! That sounds more like cowardice, not surviving!"  
  
Cloud pushed open the door---"You said you'd always be there for me!!!"--- and then slammed it in her face.  
  
'You said you'd always be there for me!!!'  
  
Aeris shook away another glitch and glared at the lobbyist, who was giving her a strange look."You didn't see nothin', old hag."Plodding down the hall, suddenly feeling extremely tired, she pounded on the door wearily."Cloud, open up."No answer. She tried again."I know I said I'd always be there, and I can't remember much about you or anything growing up. But I remember one thing---I wouldn't have left if there hadn't been a good reason. Me joinin' SOLDIER wasn't the only thing, I know. But I'll tell you what---"  
  
The door swung open. It had never been locked.  
  
Hanging the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the doorknob, Aeris stepped inside and closed the door behind her. It was pitch black and she couldn't see a thing, so she turned on the lamp by the bed."Cloud?"  
  
He was sitting in the corner, head in his arms, and with Celoferrum hanging limply out of his fingers. He looked up, looking thoroughly miserable, but his eyes were dry; a good sign, for Aeris hated it when people cried."What?"  
  
"Write it off as PMS or whatever, but I didn't mean it. Okay?"Silence."We'll find Tifa tomorrow, and get the hell outta here. I don't like bein' here any more than you do."  
  
"And after that?"It had been the true cause for his outburst."You'll go back to blowing up reactors with AVALANCHE and I'll go back to the church, and never see you again?"  
  
Aeris started towards him."It's just for a little while, and then---"She stopped as he slammed his fist down onto the floor, shoulders shaking dangerously.  
  
"You said that about Junon!"he shouted."'I'll finish up my SOLDIER training and come back, okay Cloud?' That was what you said to me. And then, in that park where we said goodbye for the first time, you told me you'd been First Class for five years, now! Five years! And you didn't--- never---"  
  
It seemed impossible for him to finish, and Aeris was glad he didn't. Grimacing painfully, she sat down next to him and threw her arm around his shoulders."I know, and I'm sorry. I guess losing my memory isn't a good enough excuse. But all I can do now is make amends."She turned and faced him squarely, both hands on his shoulders."I'll make you a promise now, Cloud. And you make one for me, too. Since both you and I ain't got much in this world, let's make a pact that we'll always have each other. That we'll always be there for each other, and never leave each other again, alright?"  
  
He didn't smile, but nor did he look so wretched anymore, so it was a plus. The two of them shook on it.  
  
"Now........"Aeris dragged the two beds together."We'll camp out together, like we used to do in the old days."She stopped, blinked; surprised she remembered it. Sighing heavily, she kicked off her shoes and spread out on the shockingly comfortable and vermin-free hotel bed, unbuckling Vereorvis, to place it on the dresser should she need it."I truly hate this."  
  
"Hate what?"Cloud sprawled out next to her, hair glowing in the lamplight around him. Aeris cursed and would have spit, but there was nowhere to spit in the cramped room.  
  
"This damn amnesia or whatever it is. I can't remember spending time with you as a kid, or any of that. And it wouldn't seem like a big deal, except for the fact that I don't remember my time with Mom, or time in Junon, or pretty much anything up until a few years ago, after I made First Class. It's ridiculous."  
  
"We'll figure it out sooner or later,"Cloud said, more hopefully than certainly. But under his breath, Aeris heard him mutter:"And if we don't, it's probably for the best."  
  
But she chose not to say anything. If her not remembering something was for the best, then chances were, she didn't want to know about it. It was the same thing with Elmyra. There was definitely something wrong here, and she wasn't entirely sure the problem started with Cloud.  
  
There was silence for a while, until Aeris suddenly spoke out of the blue:"Hey Cloud, you still claustrophobic?"  
  
He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her, surprised."Yeah...but how did you know about that?"  
  
She shrugged."Just remembering, I guess."  
  
"But---"Cloud looked as though he wanted to protest, then thought better of it."So........you just.........remember things, just like that? Like, if you stop thinking about it, then something'll come up?"  
  
Aeris rolled her eyes, but he couldn't see."Yeah, and if I stare up at that spot on the ceiling long enough, I'll be able to tell you today's winning lottery numbers!"She made a face."It's like knowing that you're gonna die and trying not to think about it. It's useless to even ask, Cloud."  
  
"Oh."He made a face of his own, then decided to broach something that had been bothering him for a while."Aerith..........do you know who this 'Don' guy is?"  
  
"Hunh?"Aeris sat up, too."I've heard of him. He runs this shithole. I don't know what he'd want with an honest guy like you, but maybe these people have just smoked a little too much---"She stopped."Oh, God."  
  
The cogs in her brain had finally started turning. The people kept telling her to see the Don. The Don was a big-time guy in Wall Market. Tifa had dressed up as a guy and---  
  
"What is it, Aerith? You look like you're going to be sick."  
  
"Nothin'.......uh, nothin' Cloud."She pasted an attempt at a smile on her face."Maybe he's lookin' for some fashion tips from ya...heh heh......."  
  
He didn't even catch the sarcasm. Lucky for some people, Cloud could be immensely dense. Aerith took a few swallows. Gods, how had she gotten herself into this one? And, more importantly, what could she do about it?  
  
"Well, since it's nothing like you say, then I'm going off to bed."Cloud reached up past the headboard and turned the light off, casting the two of them into darkness.  
  
"Yeah, we've gotta find Ti---excuse me, Mr. Tempest---tomorrow."Aeris yawned, but knew she would sleep like shit that night."G'night Cloud."  
  
"'Night, Aerith. Oh, and uh........sleep well, okay?"  
  
Aeris felt as though she had been shot. Several glitches came back to her at once, causing her to shake almost as much as Barret whenever he was angry, and to grab her head between her hands in a sudden spasm.(Sleep well, Sleepel, Sleepel, Sleepel, sleep well............)  
~*~*~  
'What was the difference back then?'  
  
'...........Between what?'  
  
'Between sleeping well and Sleepel?'  
  
'Sleepel.........the sleep magic. Used to scare me a lot. You close your eyes, it'd feel like no time passed at all, and you'd open them again to find out it was six or so hours later. Never used to like it. Lots of SOLDIER cadets would cast it on you during training........made me nervous. You never knew what they'd do to you until you woke up........'  
  
'.......I told you not to trust that other one.'  
  
'Yeah, ya did. But something ain't right about that, either.'  
  
'Back then.........do you remember? You would have trouble sleeping, and-- -'  
  
'No. Not.........right now.'  
  
'Then when?'  
  
'Just...........give me a little time. I can't---won't---'  
  
'Ha ha ha.......you never were one with words.'  
  
'I'm...........not good with words? Fooled you, I think.........'  
  
'Well.........I suppose the weak must have their victories on occasion.'  
  
'You said.........wait. What was it you said? Why can't I remember..........?'  
  
'You yourself said you did not want to........... Ha, ha, ha......accept your past, Aerith. Accept me. And sleep well, flower of my heart, until we meet again...............'  
~*~*~  
Aeris was surprised she didn't wake up screaming. Well, surprised and a little grateful(seeing as how the last time she screamed she lit Barret on fire to cover it up, and she certainly didn't want to have to do that to poor Cloud). Stretching and thinking about yesterday's events, she felt a wave of nausea slam into her when she remembered what she had figured out about the Don.  
  
(And Tifa's going there?! What the hell is wrong with her?! I mean, I wouldn't put it past AVALANCHE to rob the homeless and all if they needed money, but THIS?! No, there's gotta be something more technical behind it...)  
  
".....billion........mirror fragments......small....light.......taken.......angel's singing voices.........zeno......gias........."Cloud was muttering nonsense in his sleep, something Aeris found rather humorous. She'd never known anyone to be a sleeptalker, not even Biggs, who slept AND talked all the time(but never simultaneously). To jar him from his stupor, Aeris kicked him in the arm.  
  
"......no, sir.......don't need to see the Don......got enough change.........? ......What........?"Cloud stirred and sat up, grimacing as morning breath rebounded and hit him in the face."Gods, I feel so tired........hunh? Oh, hey Aerith."  
  
He still insisted upon calling her Aerith."Mornin', Cloud."  
  
"You're up bright and early, I see."  
  
"Well, we gotta find Ti---Tempest, remember?"(And I'll show her a 'tempest' next time I see her, believe you me.)"Are you ready to go? I can wait a few more minutes, if you still need time to wake up."  
  
"No, I'm"---a yawn---"alright. I think I just want to get out of here so you and I can go back home."  
  
Aeris frowned.('You and I'? There was no 'you and I', pal, not ever. I don't plan on going back to Sector 5 ever again. Same way I ain't never goin' back to Junon. Too many memories, too many places that feel like home...... Gods, I should've just been a chocobo jockey.)"Whatever."  
~*~*~  
The man wouldn't let them in. It was rather ridiculous, really, since he claimed that he'd never seen them before in his life and they'd only been there just yesterday, but there wasn't much they could do about it. He gave a pointed look at Cloud, said to go see the Don(and nearly lost his genitals in the process, there was no way in hell Aeris was going to let a sleaze like that near ANYONE she knew, let alone Cloud), and turned back towards shooing away the day's profits.  
  
"Dammit!"Aeris shouted, once they were away from the Honeybee and standing around the old woman who was cooking the congealed stew in the rusty pot."Why'd Tifa have to go THERE?! What a fuckin' moron!"She sighed impatiently."Alright Cloud, you can wait back at the inn and I'll go find good ol' Big Boobs---she's got a lotta explainin' to do."  
  
Slowly, ever so slowly, Cloud turned towards her.  
  
Aeris caught the look in his eyes and shook her head back and forth distinctly."No. N---O. I mean it, Cloud. NO. WAY."  
~*~*~  
Five minutes later saw the two of them outside of Don Corneo's mansion, Cloud leading the way timidly but determinedly, and Aeris tagging along rather grudgingly from behind. It wasn't the puppy-dog face, it wasn't the pleading on hands and knees, it wasn't any of those things(for in truth, Cloud had DONE none of those things) that had allowed her to bring him along.  
  
She had taken the shopkeeper's advice and looked at him. Whatever the odds were, she knew that he was the only one out of herself, himself, and Tifa who was honestly male. If it came down to that, there was no way Tifa could shrug that one off. And not wanting either of them to get hurt, she had devised a way to sneak in from the side through the laundry chute to be there in case aught went amiss with Cloud's plan.  
  
It wasn't much of a plan, really---sneak in, find Tifa, and get the hell out of there. Brisk and efficient; questioning Big Boobs could wait until later, she just had to survive until then.  
  
"Phew!"one of the guards at the gate whistled as Cloud, who had changed behind an old building into some rather......daring......clothes they had bought at the clothing shop came walking up, humming tunelessly and snapping his fingers.  
  
"Hello,"he said, so softly Aeris almost couldn't hear."I'd been hoping to see the Don, you know, but they told me he wasn't seeking audience for another THREE DAYS...... Could any of you.....I don't know, maybe help with me that?"  
  
"Wee-elll......"The taller guard contemplated."The Don doesn't usually make exceptions, especially when that hot rod Tempest just came in from Sector 7 and all, but.......is that hair color real?"He tugged on it, but Cloud grimaced and bore it. In the shadows, Aeris inadvertantly slid Vereorvis an inch or so out of it's sheath."It is? Then certainly! Come on in, come on in!"He motioned for one of the other men to open the doors, and Cloud shot one last look at Aeris before turning resolutely and heading inside of the doors. They closed shut with a clang.  
  
There was something in Aeris' eyes, and she tried to dig it out, rubbing frantically at them. It didn't register for a moment or two that she was crying, until she felt the telltale sting in the back of her throat.(Why am I so upset? He's not gonna die, for the Gods' sake! The worst they would possibly do is---)  
  
(Oh. Right.)She decided to let Vereorvis do the work that she would not burden upon Cloud.  
  
Waiting for the guards to reclose the doors and resume their idle chatter as they had been before she had arrived, she lowered her head against the bright lights and darted for the window.  
AN~I swear, this wasn't originally meant to be two chapters; it was just going to be one. But all the little blurbs between Cloud and Aeris took longer than I thought, and so, it's going to be two. Besides, I just thought of a few things I want to add to the scene in Don Corneo's mansion, so maybe it's for the best...ew, not like THAT, people! LoL. Tiger doesn't do porn. I'm listening to the Hellsing soundtrack right now. It's pretty cool; you should go out and buy it! NOW!*uses hypnotizing power to convince the world that the Hellsing soundtrack is indeed worth buying and not just a waste of money like the Music to Duel By CD for Yu-Gi-Oh!* But that's the cause of another....odium. LoL. Until next time! ~Vereor Veritas~, ~*~tigerofthewind~*~ 


End file.
